In 1953, the majority of Americans (66 percent) preferred to work for a man. Just a sliver (5 percent) said they would prefer a female boss, and a quarter of those surveyed said it made no difference. Since then, preference for female bosses has grown significantly: Now 20 percent of Americans say they would rather work for a woman, but the scale still tips toward male bosses.

Even women are more likely to say they would rather work for a man. In the Gallup poll, 39 percent of women preferred to